Leo Burnett picks up brief to make iconic Mini big in Japan

Iconic British motoring icon the Mini, owned by BMW, has appointed Leo Burnett Tokyo as the creative agency for Mini in Japan.

The win for Leo Burnett sees them working in partnership with Beacon, taking over the brand portfolio from Frontage. The Japanese market is 90% dominated by domestic models.

"We are thrilled about our new partnership with Mini but we are even more excited about the opportunity to grow the brand for and with them” said Jarek Ziebinski, President, Leo Burnett Asia Pacific.

“We will use the entire creative potential of Beacon/Leo Burnett to help MINI fulfill its great ambitions and inspire business solutions our new client needs to win in the Japanese market.”

Andreas Wecke, director of Mini Japan said, "We are pleased to announce Beacon as the new lead agency for MINI Japan. Beacon’s creativity, know-how and process capability – paired with a great Mini spirit – will support us to continue the success story of Mini, the most exciting premium compact car in the world. We look forward to a long relationship.”

Beacon will be charged with creating local strategies and creative work to cover all channels.

Nicolas Menat, President of Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo said, “MINI is an iconic brand, a world-class brand that has an insatiable appetite for creativity. We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with people who passionately believe in the power of ideas; it will give our team many opportunities to express our HumanKind way of working and to develop best creative work, bar none. We are looking forward to a long and productive relationship together.”